


The Veil

by serendipitous_rambles



Series: Shirbert week [8]
Category: Anne of Green Gables - L. M. Montgomery, Anne with an E (TV)
Genre: F/M, Tumblr Prompt, are we freaking out yet????, s3 is almost here
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-22
Updated: 2019-09-22
Packaged: 2020-10-21 19:27:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,030
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20698649
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/serendipitous_rambles/pseuds/serendipitous_rambles
Summary: "It was as if a veil that had hung before her inner consciousness had been lifted, giving to her view a revelation of unsuspected feelings and realities. Perhaps, after all, romance did not come into one’s life with pomp and blare, like a gay knight riding down; perhaps it crept to one’s side like an old friend through quiet ways..."- Anne of Avonlea // L.M. Montgomery(Prompted the quote on Tumblr)





	The Veil

Anne was hiding in the barn, trying to forget about the looming Queens' results being released. The scratchy hay and sounds of the horses was oddly calming for her, especially since Jerry was out on the fields helping Matthew.

She was focused on reading her beloved Jane Eyre, always bringing her comfort in times of stress, with her legs tucked up underneath her. Suddenly she heard footsteps climbing up the ladder and she was about to yell at Jerry when some familiar dark curls crept into view, followed by a warm lopsided smile.

"Marilla said you'd be up here." Gilbert laughed, pulling himself up the ladder fully and sitting down next to Anne in the hay. 

"What are you doing here?" She closed her book slowly, placing it beside her.

"I came to see how you were feeling about the results. If I know you, and I'd like to say I do, I know you're bound to be worrying." He nudged her with his shoulder and she rolled her eyes.

"Well you're wrong because I feel perfectly fine." 

He raised an eyebrow, "Is that so?"

"I'm definitely not worried about my dreams potentially being dashed." She sighed, hugging her knees to her chest. 

Gilbert put a reassuring hand on her shoulder and she didn't flinch away. "You're going to do great. And you're Anne Shirley Cuthbert, nothing can keep you down for too long."

"How can you know that?"

"You're the smartest person I know." He tilted his head to try and make eye contact with her.

She looked up, a mischievous smile on her face, "Smarter than you?"

"Let's call it a tie." He laughed, and she joined in to, finally feeling more at ease. 

She didn't know when it had happened, but Gilbert had become one of her closest friends. Of course, she loved Diana dearly, but there were some things that Gilbert just understood, things that Diana had the fortune of not experiencing yet. Gilbert knew the hardships, knew what it was like to feel alone. He was a kindred spirit, and Anne realised that perhaps they weren't quite as rare as she'd once thought.

"Anyway, the ball is coming up. Surely you're excited about that?" Gilbert tried to sound casual about the whole thing.

"More excited than you could ever know." She laughed happily, and Gilbert was glad to see her smile again. "It's like a fairytale. I can't wait to dance, preferably with someone who actually knows what they're doing."

She gave him a pointed look, both remembering how Miss Stacy had lined then up and made them dance during class.

"If I recall it was actually  _ you  _ who stepped on my foot." He pretended to rub his shoe as if it still hurt.

"I think you're mistaken." She folded her arms, but knew full well she had stepped on his foot.

"Maybe you can help me practise then. Since we worked quite well together in class." He added that last part quickly, awkwardly picking at a piece of straw.

"If it'll save you the embarrassment later." She conceded, beginning to climb down the ladder to the barn floor.

She took his hand in hers and placed the other on his shoulder. He took the lead and they spun around the barn, Gilbert twirling her very differently to how they'd been taught at school and she wondered where he'd learned to dance like that.

They were in fits of laughter, all fear of tomorrow driven out of Anne's mind. She kept her eyes locked with his, and found herself unable to look away. It was as if a veil had been lifted and suddenly she was seeing clearly for the first time. 

_ "You know Gilbert has a crush on you, right?"  _ Cole had once said, and she'd been so quick to deny it. But now she was looking at him,  _ really  _ looking at him. And the way he was looking back at her was something she'd only ever read about. There was a fondness in his eyes that made her heart flutter, something new…

For so long she had been waiting for a handsome prince type to declare his undying love, waiting for love to just hit her. But that wasn't the case. Maybe love wasn't always so obvious at first. It was the little moments, the small gestures, slowly creeping up to your side without you even realising.

Love wasn't always about knights and gestures of grandeur. Perhaps it came from friends, shifting into something more, falling too far before you even knew how to stop it.

"I suppose I better go," Gilbert said, reluctantly letting go of Anne's hand. "Bash will be wondering where I am."

She nodded, following him out of the barn.

As she walked back towards the house, Anne looked over her shoulder at Gilbert. She knew she was not the same Anne she was once. He had crept into her heart and planted himself firmly there, that she was sure of. No matter how hard she wanted to deny it, she was in love with him. That revelation had come as a surprise to her, but once it was there in her mind, nothing had made more sense. 

He wasn't just her friend, he was her equal, a kindred spirit. It had always been him, from the shy smiles exchanged in class, the witty competitions and friendly debates. He drove her crazy sometimes, but in the best possible way.

So, before she could stop herself or change her mind she called out to him. "Gilbert! Wait!"

He stopped walking, turning in surprise before his eyebrows softened when he saw her running at full speed towards him.

"Anne what-"

She cupped both his cheeks in her hands, interrupting him with a kiss. After a second of him registering what happened, his arms wrapped around her waist and he kissed her back, everything he'd wanted to say for all those years being said.

The veil had been lifted, and there was no way Anne could ever put it back. For the first time she was seeing clearly just what made her heart sing, and that was none other than Gilbert Blythe.

**Author's Note:**

> This is the final fic for Shirbert week! 
> 
> S3 is almost here!
> 
> Thank you everyone for sending in prompts, I had fun writing these and I hope s3 will bring even more inspiration x


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